


unfair we’re not somewhere misbehaving for days

by callumsmitchells



Series: ballum week 2020 [2]
Category: EastEnders
Genre: 3 times + 1, Fluff, M/M, affair au, ballumweek2020, bw2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-09
Updated: 2020-06-09
Packaged: 2021-03-03 23:16:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,845
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24623827
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/callumsmitchells/pseuds/callumsmitchells
Summary: Ben and Callum embark on an affair, but it’s not without its struggles.or, three times they’re almost caught in action, plus one time they are.
Relationships: Callum "Halfway" Highway/Ben Mitchell
Series: ballum week 2020 [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1778716
Comments: 8
Kudos: 84





	unfair we’re not somewhere misbehaving for days

**Author's Note:**

> day 2 of ballum week!

**jay**

Ben hid under the desk, hand pressed tightly over his mouth in an attempt to muffle the laughter that was stumbling out of his mouth. 

He and Callum had been having an affair for months now, and it still hadn’t got boring. In fact, it grew more and more exciting as time went by. The more that they got away with, the longer their affair continued, the more exciting it got for them. The idea of being caught out was terrifying, but thrilling all the same. 

Which is why they were in the funeral parlour, Ben hitched up on the table, Callum between his legs. It was lunch, and Ben had sent Jay on a wild goose chase, just because he wanted to spend time with Callum. Time that they hadn’t spent together for a while. It was nice, Ben’s legs wrapped around Callum’s waist, Callum leaning against Ben, encapsulated in one another.

Until they both heard the lock in the door turn, and Jay’s voice shouting out.

“Get down.” Callum whispered, as he scrambled to zip up his trousers. 

Ben started laughing instantly, ducking underneath the table with his jeans halfway down his thighs and his shirt unbuttoned. 

“I can’t believe him.” Jay exasperated, sitting down at his own desk, facing Callum. 

“Who?” Callum asked, smile on face as he attempted to sort out the papers that were now scattered all across the desk. Ben snaked a hand up Callum’s leg, resting it on his thigh.

Jay rubbed his hands across his face and sighed. “Ben. He told me that Lola needed some letter or another for Lexi, because she’s taking her to the dentist, and they’re both busy so I had to find it. I’ve just spent the past half an hour turning the house upside down, and then I rang Lola and she said she hadn’t got the foggiest what I was going on about.”

“Brothers, eh?” Callum chuckled, reaching down and shoving Ben’s hand out of the way. 

Jay shrugged, and looked at Callum. “You alright mate?”

“Me?” Callum asked. “Yeah I’m fine.”

“You just look…” Jay faded out, pointing to his own hair. 

Callum’s hair was all over the place. Half of it was flat against his forehead, the rest all askew. It was a massive contrast to his usual perfect quiff, just like it had been half an hour prior.

“Oh!” Callum gasped, running his fingers through his hair. “I, er, I had a nap. Yeah.”

Jay nodded. “Do you want anything from the shop anyway? I’m going to get lunch.”

Callum shook his head, and watched as Jay walked out of the funeral parlour.

Seconds later, Ben reappeared, standing up fully and tugging his jeans back into position. “You had a nap? That’s a new one.”

“You need to go before Jay comes back.” Callum grinned. 

“I know, I know.” Ben buttoned up his shirt, and leaned down, pecking Callum’s lips. “Text me later, yeah?” 

“Course.”

**lola**

Ben sat in the drivers seat, with one hand on the steering wheel, the other on the back of the passenger seat. Callum sat next to him, stretching his legs out in front of him, sliding the seat back. 

“You gonna give me a kiss?” Ben grinned, lifting his sunglasses up, rolling them onto his forehead. 

“It’s broad daylight.” Callum responded, as if that was a normal response to give to his lover who was asking for the tiniest amount of affection.

Ben looked around. “You’re not a vampire, Callum. Nobody is around. We’re fine.” 

Callum looked around himself, and then turned to face Ben. He raised his hand, cupping Ben’s cheek. He leaned forward, and caught Ben’s lips between his own, a quick embrace, and a risky one at that. It was the first time they had done this, in public when it was light. Anyone could appear at any moment, and the whole affair would be ruined. It made their hearts race, as Callum’s thumb ran over Ben’s cheek, their lips locked together, enjoying the moment.

“Good enough for you?” Callum asked, when they pulled back from one another. His hand still remained against Ben’s cheek, skin warm underneath his touch. 

“More than good enough.” Ben responded, grin spread across his face. 

At first, it was just lust. A need for Ben to prove that he could win whoever he wanted, and an itch to scratch for Callum, finally experiencing what he was made for. Now, it was so much more, and they both knew that, even though it wasn’t exactly something they would admit, even to themselves. 

“Is this our first official date?” Callum asked, putting his seatbelt on over his body. 

“I think it might be, yeah.” Ben smiled, and then there was a tap at the window, and Callum’s face sunk.

Ben turned around, and wound his window down. “You alright Lo?” Ben asked. 

“Where are you two off to?” Lola asked, shopping bag in hand. 

“Present shopping.” Callum lied, smile beaming across his face. “Ben was bored, so he offered to give me a lift.”

Lola smiled, and nodded, accepting the answer. “Good luck then. You’ll be listening to show tunes on the way there.” She laughed.

“Okay yeah, bye Lola.” Ben responded, smirk across his face as he pushed his friend off of his car, winding the window back up.

Ben waited until she walked into the house before he turned to Callum. He reached out, and placed his hand on top of his thigh, squeezing it gently. “It’s fine.” He spoke. “She didn’t see anything. She would’ve said.”

Callum smiled, and placed his hand over Ben’s, interlocking their fingers. 

**whitney**

“Feels weird.” Ben commented. “Being here, with you.”

They were in Callum’s flat, somewhere that had been out of bounds in all the months of their affair – until now. Callum was practically pinned to the sofa, Ben arching over him, knees to either side of Callum’s waist, holding Callum’s hands up above his head. He leaned down, and left an open mouthed kiss to Callum’s lips, before pulling away and watching as he instinctively chased Ben’s mouth, wanting more. 

“Why?” He asked, wiggling to get more comfortable. 

Ben let go of his hands, allowing Callum to put them down. He did, and snaked them around Ben’s waist, needing to have that extra touch. 

“Because it’s your home.” Ben shrugged. “Every time we’ve been together, it’s been in places that don’t matter. Random hotels, if we’re lucky. This, this is so much more than that. It’s your home.”

“You can be quite soft when you want to be, can’t you?” Callum pointed out.

They sat in silence for a moment, Callum’s thumb running over Ben’s cheek, fingers curling into his hair. Ben leaned down, and embraced Callum into another kiss, his thumb hooked against his chin, pulling Callum into position. It was slow, and sensual, and a far cry from the kisses they shared at the start of their affair, all bruised lips and teeth clashing together. It was so much more than that now. This was about them, taking their time together. Giving every piece of Ben to Callum; and every piece of Callum to Ben.

That was, until the phone buzzed, and Callum had to answer it. 

Whitney. She had come back earlier than expected from her shopping trip, and Callum buzzed her up. 

“Get your shoes on, quick.” Callum ordered, the second he slammed the receiver down. “Whitney’s back.”

Ben scrambled to get his shoes on, as Callum flustered about, not knowing what to do. Ben grabbed ahold of him. “Follow my lead.”

“Hi bab- oh.” Whitney spoke, walking through the door and putting her shopping bags on the sofa. “What are you doing here?” 

Ben smiled. “Business.” He responded. “Callum came around before, but I was busy with another customer. Turns out he wants a nice little motor, so I was just telling him what cars we’re getting in next month or so.”

“Yeah.” Callum smiled, stepping forward and kissing Whitney’s cheek. “Thought it was about time I invested in a car. Anyway, I’ll see you later mate.” 

Callum held out his hand, and Ben clasped onto it, shaking it. It felt weird. Odd. Heartbreaking even, that they had just gone from entwined fingers and passionate kisses, to shaking each others hands and being called ‘mate’.

“Yeah.” Ben smiled. “Let me know if you want that car.”

**kathy**

It was rare that Ben experienced an empty house, what with the amount of people that lived in both of the houses he usually resided in. So, when it happened, he couldn’t believe his luck, and texted Callum to invite him around.

Though, neither of them were expecting that this would result in their affair being exposed. 

“I really need to get back.” Callum groaned against Ben’s lips. He had been trying to leave for close to ten minutes now, but Ben had a magnetising way of pulling him back in, every single time he made an attempt to leave.

“Fine.” Ben smiled. “One more kiss though.” 

Callum rolled his eyes, but conceded, pressing his lips to Ben’s. When he pulled back, he shrugged on his jacket – that had been scattered on the floor alongside the rest of his clothes – and spoke. “I’ll just nip to the toilet. Are you going to the pub?”

“Yeah.” Ben smiled. “I’ll wait downstairs for you.”

So, Kathy coming back early wasn’t part of the plan. 

Ben was stood at the bottom of the stairs when the door swung open, Kathy stepping inside. “You off out love?” She asked, sweet smile on her face. 

Ben looked like a rabbit in headlights, and took a quick look upstairs in an attempt to get Callum to stay up there, but he was nowhere to be seen. 

“Ben?” She asked, confused. “What are you looking at? Do you have a man up there?” 

“What? No.” Ben responded, too quickly for his mum’s liking, and she knew then. 

And then it happened. 

From upstairs, Callum called out. “Babe, are my shoes down there?” 

Kathy recognised the voice instantly, and Ben swung his head back, eyes screwed shut, as if he was waiting for the kick off to happen. 

“Babe?” Callum spoke again, jogging down the stairs. “My sho-oh”

“Yeah, ‘oh’.” Kathy repeated. “How long’s this been going on?” 

Callum looked at Ben, waiting for him to speak. “Five months.” He answered, when Ben didn’t. 

“Ben?” Kathy enquired. 

“Well he’s hardly gonna lie is he?” Ben laughed. “Five months, give or take.” 

He turned to Callum. “Your shoes are in the living room. Go to work. I’ll see you later.”

Callum nodded, and picked his shoes up, shoving them on his feet. Ben rubbed his face and sighed. “See you later, yeah?” Callum spoke softly. 

“Sorry.” Before leaving, he pressed a quick kiss to Ben’s cheek.

Kathy sighed, watching as Callum left the house, running his fingers through his hair. “We need to talk.” She said, pushing Ben into the living room, not prepared for this conversation in the slightest.


End file.
